House Arrest

Definition - What does House Arrest mean?

House arrest is when a person is ordered to remain within the confines of his or her home as an alternative to incarceration. People who are under house arrest are frequently required to wear electronic bracelets which allow law enforcement to remotely monitor their location. This is to ensure that the people under house arrest do not actually leave their property.

Justipedia explains House Arrest

House arrest is often used for white collar crime such as insider trading. The reason is because such crimes are nonviolent, and often do no require imprisonment at the state's expense. Historically, house arrest has also been used when prisoners were believed to be too influential to be held in a prison. In such circumstances, law enforcement was trying to prevent revolts from occurring if the person was imprisoned. Medical necessities can often trigger a permitted temporary suspension of house arrest. However, once the issue is taken care of, the person usually is required to immediately go back under house arrest for the duration of his or her sentence.